The Philippine National Police (PNP) will be updating its investigation protocol, especially those involving cybercrimes, to strengthen the handling of social media evidence in criminal investigations following the Supreme Court’s issuance of guideposts on proving ownership and control of online accounts.

Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. said the move was aimed at helping police investigators build stronger cases and ensure that evidence is properly authenticated.

“For ongoing investigations, we will review digital evidence carefully while future cases will be handled more systematically and transparently when it comes to social media posts,” said Nartatez.

The PNP action stemmed from the High Court’s issuance of seven guideposts to prove ownership or control of social media accounts in criminal cases following a conviction for psychological violence under Republic Act 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children).

The guideposts include admission of authorship, account access, unique knowledge, language patterns, records from providers or device forensics, consistency with previous posts, and other indications of ownership or control.

The case involved a man who repeatedly harassed his former girlfriend on Facebook after she blocked him. Despite his denials, the court found that the account posts came from him, citing profile photos, messages to her siblings, and other factors consistent with the seven guideposts.

The SC affirmed his conviction, noting that proving the offender’s identity is crucial in social media-related crimes. The man was sentenced to up to eight years in prison, fined P100,000, and required to undergo psychological counseling or psychiatric treatment.

For Nartatez, the guidepost reinforces due process in the digital age, “It ensures that law enforcement and the courts follow clear procedures, which strengthens public trust in our justice system.

To implement these protocols, Nartatez said PNP units were directed to incorporate the Supreme Court’s guideposts into standard police procedures.

In addition, he said the Anti-Cybercrime Group and regional cyber units are being equipped with advanced tools to trace, verify, and preserve digital evidence.

The PNP is also establishing formal channels with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok to facilitate timely verification of accounts involved in criminal cases.